Poultry feeder



March 10, 1931. J. F. CONE POULTRY FEEDER Filed June 2. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 10, 1931. J CONE 1,795,712v

POULTRY. FEEDER Filed June 2. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 it'll ,TATEE FATENT OFFICE JESSE F. CONE, F BAYCITY, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JAMES M. HENSLEY, OF BAY CITY, TEXAS POULTRY FEEDER Application filed June 2, 1927. Serial No. 196,991.

My invention relates to poultry feeders of the class wherein the feed is render-ed accessible by the weightof the fowls upon a treadle or analogous device, the food compartments being normally closed and protected against rodents and the weather.

An important object of the invention is to.

provide a feeder of this kind which is of very simple construction, easily operated, convenient and inexpensive of manufacture and which may be readily repaired as occasion may require without the exercise of unusual skill.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved feed compartment closure mounting means and control therefor, whereby the closure can be actuated by but a limited treadle movement to a position well above the heads of the feeding fowls,

thus giving them ample head room.

it further object of the invention is to furnish novel means for limiting movement of the closure operating treadle so that the closure operating means will not be under a strain while the fowls are upon the treadle and feeding.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing wind from blowing transversely through the feed compartment while the.;fowls are feeding and thus scattering the grain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood as the description proceeds.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. How- .cver, for a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what now appears to me to be a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of many other mechanical expressions and that I reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as fairly fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

In the drawings,

u Figure 1 is a perspective view of a feeder constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view Figure 3 is a cross section, and

Figure l is a detail perspectiveview of an element.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein lik numerals designate like parts in all views, numeral 1 designates generally the upper hopper-like compartment into which the feed is introduced and from which it passes to the feed compartment 2. The hopperike compartment 1 is shown provided with a roof-like closure 3 which may be hingedly or merely frictionally supported in place to protect the contents of the feeder against the elements.

The feed compartment 2 is divided longitudinally into two feed chambers 4 by means of a metal strip 5, T- shaped in cross-section and coextensive in length with the feed chamber 2, the aforementioned partition strip being secured by means of nails or the like driven through its side flanges 5 which rest upon the bottom of the feed compartment.

Figure 3 clearly shows that the side walls 1 of the hopper 1 extend downwardly well into the feeding chambers 4 but are spaced from the bottoms thereof, with the partition strip 5 intermediate the longitudinal edges of said hopper walls 1 Thus the feed, which is placed .in the hopper is free to pass to either side of the partition strip 5 and through the space beneath the lower longitudinal edges of the hopper side walls 1 into the outer portions of the feeding chambers 4.

As shown the feeder is constructed of wood, and the end pieces 8 of the container are so cut as to define the hopper 1 and the feed compartment 2, the end pieces being connected by the side walls 1? of the hopper and by the sine walls l and bottom wall 6; of the feed compartment 2. Figure 3 clearly shows that the feed compartment has its side walls lying parallel to the plane with the side walls 1 of the hopper but spaced laterally therefrom a considerable distance so asto give the fowls plenty of head room in feeding. The end pieces 8 are formed with feet 9 so that the device will be supported some little dis-'- tance above the ground or floor upon which it is placed.

Each of the feeding chambers is provided with a closure 10 which is hingedly mounted by means of angular brackets 11 which are pivoted, at 11 to the end pieces 8. The shape of the brackets 11 is such that the closures 10 will have a maximum of upward movement with a limited swinging movement so as to give the fowls plenty of head room while feeding.

As shown at 12, each end piece 8 has fastened thereto a horizontal bar. Also the end pieces 8 are shown as having the end arms 13 of olatforms 15 pivoted thereto, as at 16, the pivot point of the arms being intermediate the ends thereof s that the ends of said arms will engage the cross members 12 to limit the swinging movement of the platform in a downward direction.

At each end of each food chamber closure there is pivoted, as at 1.7, a link 18 which is pivoted to the end of a link 19 which in turn is pivoted intermediate its ends to the horizontal member 12 as indicated at 19. The end of each link 19 is connected by a short link 20 to the outer end portion of the adjacent end arm 13 of the platform. By the structure described it will be evident that when a fowl jumps upon either one of the platforms the weight will, through the link structure described, open the closure of the feed chamber, thus rendering the same accessible to the fowls. Inasmuch as the ends of the end arms 13 engage the bottoms of the horizontal cross members 12 to limit the downward movement of the platforms there will be no strain upon the link structure which operates the feed chamber closures. This an important item.

Another very important point which it is desired to emphasize is tl longitudinal partition 5 which-divides the feed compartment into the two feed chambers 4. lVhile primarily this partition functions to dispose the feed equally into the two feed chambers 4;, yet it serves a very important purpose in preventing a straight draft of air or wind through the feeder when the fowls are feeding from both sides thereof. It is noted that the partition or rather the top thereof terminates above the bottom edges of the hopper walls 1. Thus the wind is deflected and prevented from passing straight through the device and scattering the feed.

It is noted that a piece has been out out from each of the end pieces 8 to provide the feet or legs 9 for the device, and in order to give these legs a broader supporting surface the piece so cut out from the end pieces is split in half and fastened to the outer edge of the legs, as indicated at 9. This of course is a minor item, but shows the economy that may be practiced in the manufacture of this feeder.

The feeder has been shown and described as being constructed of wood and its simplicity makes it admirably suited for wood construction. Of course it is not intended to limit the device to a wooden structure as obviously other materials can be used.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A poultry feeder comprising a casing having a feed compartment and a superposed receiving compartment communicating with said feed compartment, the latter having a feeding opening extending laterally from the wall of said receiving compartment, a closure for said feeding opening and hinged to the end walls of said receiving compartment, a support for said casing, a fowl platform having arms pivoted intermediate their ends to said support at opposite ends of the casing, bars secured transversely of and upon the outer sides of the ends of said support above the inner ends of said platform arms whereby to limit upward swinging thereof and the consequent depression of the platform un der the weight of the fowl, said bars extending laterally toward one side of said casing and above said platform, a lever for each of said bars, said levers being pivoted intermediate their ends to the bars adjacent the outer ends of such bars, and link connections between one end of the lever and the closure and between the other end of the lever and the fowl support, the weight of said closure being sufficient through said lever 'to overcome the weight of the fowl platform, and the arms of said levers which are linked to said fowl platform being shorter than the arms of said levers which are linked to said closure whereby but a slight depression of the fowl platform will through said lever and linkage elevate said closure a considerably greater distance than the movement of said platform.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JESSE F. CONE. 

